Ise-katagami is the Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles. It has been designated as one of the Important Intagible Cultural Properties of Japan and there is currently a group of masters who are keeping the tradition alive. With over 5,000 stencils from the Edo to the Showa periods, the Edo Ise-Katagami Museum has Japan’s largest Ise-Katagami collection.

Come to this treasure trove of beautiful traditional kimono patterns and discover the design and techniques of this exquisite Japanese craft!

First developed during the Muromachi period (1337-1573) in Suzuka, a city in the Ise area of Mie prefecture, Ise-katagami is the craft of paper stencils used in kimono dyeing, made on multiple layers of thin washi paper bonded with persimmon juice. Initially controlled and supported by the Kishū Domain, Ise-Katagami became increasingly popular throughout the Edo period. It is nowadays recognized as a fine and applied art.

We opened this museum with the desire to introduce to the world Ise-katagami stencils from the Edo to the Shōwa periods. Our rich collection includes numerous Japanese patterns such as Edokomon originally used for samurai kimonos, kikagaku (geometrical abstract designs), kachōfūgetsu (traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics) and kojiraireki (representations of classical literature and history).

In the closing days of the Edo period, renowned scholar Dr. Siebold brought a large number of Ise-katagami stencils along with ukiyo-e prints to Europe, sparking the birth of the japonisme movement, and spreading the appreciation of this refined craft beyond Japan’s borders and all over the world.

Kioi Art Gallery
A stunning gallery showcasing Japanese culture and arts, designed by renowned architect Taro Ashihara, this innovative and charming gallery can be rented for exhibits, seminars and gatherings of all types.

Ise pattern paper used to dye kimono patterns in the Edo period. The Edo Ise Katagami Museum of Art is a permanent exhibition that revives the pattern, a tool used more than 100 years ago, as an art.

The director, Atsushi Kajiura, is the director of a language school that trains Japanese teachers and teaches Japanese to foreign businessmen. Opened the only permanent museum in the world based on 5,000 pieces of Ise pattern paper from Edo, which was released by a long-established dye shop in Nihonbashi when it closed.

Ise Katagami is a pattern carved out of pattern paper with a sculpture technique that is unlikely to be human work, such as striping, sculpture, tool and carving. In the Edo period when kimono culture was developed, several sheets of Japanese paper made from mulberry paper were stuck together in persimmon astringent, dried in the sun, smoked, and prospered.

It originated in the Nara era, and was called Ise Katagami because it was made in Shirako-cho and Jike-cho near Ise Bay in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. The stencil dealer had received orders from various parts of the country and received orders.

Exhibition room with 2 to 3 floors and 2 floors. On the 2nd floor, there are large-sized ones and original goods produced by reprinting the patterns. There are many things that make you feel good just by looking at them, such as the “Butterfly Fan” that danced like a fan, and the “Cherry Blossom” where cherry blossoms were placed in running water. “The pattern of the kimono is a Japanese pattern, and Ise pattern is also regarded as the culmination of the beauty of the Japanese pattern.

Since all the patterns from ancient times are unique in the world, not only foreigners, Japanese people are often surprised “. Butterflies that change beautifully from larvae are immortal, and strong leaves are the wishes of children’s health.

Many motifs embody not only seasonal feelings but also desires. The Edo Komon with its fine motifs is a style especially preferred in Edo. It is said that the small pattern that gathered of the flowers of the four seasons like a patchwork also had the practicality that can be worn all year round. The tongue wraps around the height of the Edo people who demand rationality in their fashion.

On the 3rd floor there is a tea room that is used for exhibitions, events, etc. of patterns and kimonos according to the four seasons. What you need is a lattice window with a pattern. The appearance of Aoi, Tortoiseshell, Wisteria, etc. in natural light is very beautiful. From those with small patterns scattered to those with large deformed motifs, they are also reflected in modern people. The director’s desire to convey the Japanese traditional sense of design and aesthetics to foreigners and young people is also convincing.

The interior of the building is a modern space by a famous architect, one side of which is fitted with glass and the adjacent greenery has a view. I would like to enjoy the design of a pattern like modern art and to engrave old patterns in my heart as if I had visited a good cafe.

Ise-Katagami
First developed during the Muromachi period (1337-1573) in Suzuka, a city in the Ise area of Mie prefecture, Ise-katagami is the craft of paper stencils used in kimono dyeing, made on multiple layers of thin washi paper bonded with persimmon juice. Initially controlled and supported by the Kishū Domain, Ise-Katagami became increasingly popular throughout the Edo period. It is nowadays recognized as a fine and applied art.

In the closing days of the Edo period, renowned scholar Dr. Siebold brought a large number of Ise-katagami stencils along with ukiyo-e prints to Europe, sparking the birth of the japonisme movement, and spreading the appreciation of this refined craft beyond Japan’s borders and all over the world.

Exhibition:
This treasure trove of beautiful traditional kimono patterns and discover the design and techniques of this exquisite Japanese craft!

This museum introduce to the world Ise-katagami stencils from the Edo to the Shōwa periods. Our rich collection includes numerous Japanese patterns such as edokomon originally used for samurai kimonos, kikagaku (geometrical abstract designs), kachōbūgetsu (traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics) and kojiraigeki (representations of classical literature and history).

Ise-katagami is the Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles. In 1955, it was designated as one of the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

With over 5,000 stencils from the Edo to the Shōwa periods, the Edo Ise-Katagami Museum has Japan’s largest Ise-katagami collection.

Gift shop
Edo Style – “Kioi”. Antique and contemporary Ise-Katagami stencils, as well as Ise-Katagami patterned T-shirts, bags, chinaware, parasols, fans, letter sets, cards, Kimono etc., are on sale.

Tea Room
Kioi-An, a place faithfully decorated and refreshingly relaxing traditional tearoom

Cultural Salon
Alpha Language Institute (our parent facility) offers Japanese language classes for foreign business people in Kioi school.